01.06.15
Cruelty Free International has welcomed a statement from New Zealand Government Minister Nathan Guy who has ruled out allowing animal tests for cosmetics.
In a letter to Cruelty Free International, Guy stated, “Given current societal attitudes to the use of animals in testing cosmetics and the regulatory requirement for animal ethics committees [AECs] to apply a harm-benefit test, I believe that it is highly unlikely that any AEC now or in the future would approve a project to conduct cosmetics tests on animals.”
The Minister’s statement comes following a series of conversations between Cruelty Free International and his department, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPs) over the past two years.
In June, MPs rejected a proposal to directly ban animal testing for cosmetics, but this statement effectively closes the door to cruel cosmetics testing in the country.
Cruelty Free International CEO Michelle Thew commented, “This is an important step forward which we have been asking for from New Zealand and other countries. Although we would prefer a legislative ban on animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients as in the European Union and India, we welcome this clear policy statement from New Zealand. The global snowball to end all animal testing for cosmetics is continuing to gather speed.”
There was a ban in Brazil over the summer, as previously reported in Happi.
In a letter to Cruelty Free International, Guy stated, “Given current societal attitudes to the use of animals in testing cosmetics and the regulatory requirement for animal ethics committees [AECs] to apply a harm-benefit test, I believe that it is highly unlikely that any AEC now or in the future would approve a project to conduct cosmetics tests on animals.”
The Minister’s statement comes following a series of conversations between Cruelty Free International and his department, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPs) over the past two years.
In June, MPs rejected a proposal to directly ban animal testing for cosmetics, but this statement effectively closes the door to cruel cosmetics testing in the country.
Cruelty Free International CEO Michelle Thew commented, “This is an important step forward which we have been asking for from New Zealand and other countries. Although we would prefer a legislative ban on animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients as in the European Union and India, we welcome this clear policy statement from New Zealand. The global snowball to end all animal testing for cosmetics is continuing to gather speed.”
There was a ban in Brazil over the summer, as previously reported in Happi.